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11.01.2011

PlanetBox: Can this lunchbox help an inattentive kid eat?

I don't know about you, but I am always, ALWAYS looking for products to ease my son's experience in this world -- his ADHD and sensory processing disorder make so many everyday things so difficult.

The latest problem on my radar to alleviate was lunch time. His medication for ADHD greatly diminishes his appetite. Add to that a high probability of distraction during a time when he can freely talk with his friends, and you have a kid who was coming home with a lunchbox that was disheveled but still full of food. Sometimes he didn't even drink his CapriSun.

I knew the layout of the lunchbox was difficult with lots of separate baggies and containers to open and everything piled up inside the box. It took a lot of focus to get to everything. Many days he'd come home with an untouched sandwich or even a cookie and claim he never saw it when questioned about not taking even one bite.

I imagined a lunch box where one lid could be opened and all foods would be visible and accessible, completely ready to eat -- something akin to the school lunch tray but easily transported and without mess. And then I found the PlanetBox. I had to try it and PlanetBox was gracious enough to send one to Luke to try out. Could this product be the answer for a distracted luncher?

This lunch box is incredible. Invented for eco-conscious reasons, this all metal lunch container is not only well-designed but super fun (and age appropriate for tots, teens, and adults alike). There are several pre-proportioned compartments in the tray, the perfect size for fruit, veggies, sandwich, and treats (you can even download a grocery list with menu ideas for the tray on their website). It also comes with two small round containers that fit into the tray compartments, The Little Dipper and The Big Dipper {so cute!}, perfect for anything with liquid that might attack other foods. We use them for applesauce, yogurt, fruit salad, salsa, veggie dips, etc.



I have to admit, the first few weeks with the PlanetBox didn't seem to make a substantial difference in Luke's lunch habits. He was eating a tiny bit more, but still not enough. Then he started back to public school this week, and now his PlanetBox is coming home just about empty. Before, at the school he attended the past two months, they ate outside and were free to roam around and play. Now, back at public school, they have a much more structured lunch time which helps him focus on the task at hand. Could it just be the change in lunch-time environment you ask? Nope, not likely. He attended the same public school the last three years and never ate much lunch.

The PlanetBox helps with mom's sanity a bit too. I pack Luke's lunch every day now since he's on a gluten-free diet. I grab the PlanetBox out of the dishwasher each morning (yep, it's dishwasher safe) and fill each compartment. The challenge of what will fit in each compartment, what will balance his meal, and finding new ideas keeps me going through the chore. And I don't have to mess with baggies and tupperware containers, not only making packing lunch an easier task but also reducing our impact on the environment, PlanetBox's mission to begin with.


Do I have complaints about this product? Only two. First, the price can be daunting for many -- the complete kit is $59.95 plus shipping. It does seem to me that this product will last a long, long time though, making it worth the investment. Luke has been using his every day for four or five weeks and it looks just about brand new still. My only other complaint is that you can't mix warm and cold foods and keep everything the right temperature -- but I haven't found any lunchbox where I can do that successfully anyhow. Despite these drawbacks, I do think the PlanetBox is a wise purchase.

Can this little lunchbox change the lunch experience for your distracted eater? I can't say for sure, but it has had a very positive effect on Luke"s lunch experience.

Penny Williams is the creator and editor of {a mom's view of ADHD}She is also a freelance writer, real estate broker, wife, and mother of two living in Asheville, N.C. She has published several pieces in ADDitude Magazine, the #1 national publication dedicated to ADHD, and has also been quoted in Parenting.com's Family Health Guide on ADHD and The High Desert Pulse article, When Ritalin Works.  When not writing, she can usually be found behind a camera.